Attendance and Meal Counts by Headcount

The entry of both attendance and meal counts by headcount is for those sites that choose not to keep any participant data in My Food Program. When processing the claim, My Food Program will ensure that meal counts do not exceed attendance counts but other reporting and compliance checks are limited.

To enter both attendance and meal counts by headcount:

• Click on Headcount Attendance & Meal Count from the main dashboard. This will bring you to the attendance and meal count entry screen.

• The attendance and meal count entry screen will default to the current date, the first meal of the day and the first roster alphabetically. You can change that information using the date picker and dropdown menus. If your sponsor has limited meal count entry to meal service times, you may not be able to change the date or the meal.
• Next you will see a field for Attendance Count. In here, enter the number of participants that attended your facility today. This number should be at least as large as the number of meals served.
• Meal counts and attendance counts from other users will appear on the upper-left corner. Please note that if adding an Attendance Count it will overwrite other user’s data and if adding a Meal Count it will add to other user’s data. If using headcount meal counts, we strongly recommend having only one person assigned to entering meal counts. Multiple users are less of a problem with meal count by name since the system prevents a child from being checked in twice for the same meal. Since headcount meal counts do not associate meal counts with particular children, it can cause confusion if multiple people enter counts.
• What you see next on your screen depends on whether you have a simplified meal count screen or a comprehensive meal count screen.
  

• Enter the number of meals served in the text box labeled Count. You can do this using either the increment arrows or by typing in the field. 
• Remember to click the green Save button when you are done.

• The first box below the attendance count is for Meals Received/Prepared. This may be a required field for you depending on your sponsor settings. In this box, enter the number of meals that were delivered by your food vendor or prepared on site.
• Next you will see a box labeled Meals Available from Previous Days. This box might be prefilled with the number of meals that you had leftover from the prior day, depending on your sponsor settings. You can adjust the number using the increment arrows or typing in the box.
• Next you will see a text box labeled First Meals. This is for the number of meals that were served to eligible participants. 
• Second Meals are when participants consume the first meal that you served and would like to eat a second full meal. 
• Meals served to program and non-Program adults are for tracking meals that are served to adult volunteers or staff. These meals will not be included in the claim but are there to help accurately calculate the number of leftover meals and assist with budgeting. 
• The final text box is for non-reimbursable meals. These are meals that were missing a required component, had to be discarded because they were not at a safe temperature or otherwise unable to be served.
• Next you will see a box for Leftover Meals. You cannot edit this box. Rather, the number of leftovers is calculated automatically by My Food Program. the system takes the Meals received/prepared plus meals available from previous day and subtracts the number of meals served in each of the categories.
  
• The final text box is for the number of additional children requesting a meal after all the meals available have been distributed. This is for your recordkeeping purposes and can assist with adjusting meal orders for future dates.
  
• When all fields have been completed, be sure to click the green Save button at the bottom of the screen.